Nationals
by Suninthemorning2
Summary: Re-post! When a dance competition gets rough for Olivia's daughter, what does fate do to her to give her good luck? Or does she fail, like the other four times she lost to her best friend, Callie? You never know when love is in the air... E/O
1. Rehearsal

**Hey everyone! It's Stella, from Suninthemorning2! Here's another one of our new story ideas, tell us if you like it. It's called Nationals, and this is basically kind of like a spin-off of Rachael's life in America and how she's always training with her coaches, and one of them is her aunt. Rachael**** says her best friend is always her competition and that she has a four year streak of second place with her best friend always in first, just like Genna's situation in this story. We are always making stories that relate to our everyday lives, and this story is kind of dedicated to Rachael and her dancing, which I can already tell that she takes VERY** **seriously. So we're sorry if you don't understand some of the concepts or the dancing terms, but we hope you enjoy it anyways. The first chapter is really into detail with dance moves, so watch out!**

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Genevieve Benson, 4:20 P.M.:

Callie always wins. Every time we go to competition, miss Kim has to give her a better number to dance than mine, and I get stuck with second place. It sometimes makes me feel bad, makes me feel like I'm not good at what I do. When Callie gets all those trophies and smiles brightly at the crowd in the spotlight, it makes me feel like nobody cares about how good I am at dancing. I've been dancing ever since I was three, that was when I was old enough to join my dance team. But after a year of attention and affection, then came in Callie, and took my place.

Me and Callie are actually in the same school, we are both in third grade, with the same teacher, and we are the best of friends. We always play with each other, and I see her every day after school when I go to train for nationals. But once we enter my dance studio, our friendship gets rudely left behind at the door. We still help each other all the time, like holding Callie's feet when she does her warm up sit ups. But we never joke around, giggle, we barely even smile at each other when we come to class. It's partially miss Kim's fault, though. She's very strict, no funny business allowed. When we walk in there we walk in there ready to work, especially on days like today. Today is the last day of practice before we have to fly down to California to compete in the national competition, for the big trophies, for the crowns.

We've got six shots at winning this year, miss Kim always says. We have our group dance, which features me, with Callie and my other teammates accompanying me. I love the group dance we get to do this year, it's a hip hop combination to "bleeding love" by Leona Lewis. I honestly think it has a big shot for first. Then we have our two duets. One duet is actually me and Callie. It's a jazz dance to a song called "green green dress", and my mom and my other instructors tell me it is a very sophisticated topic, that I probably wouldn't understand yet, maybe when I was older. Then there was Callie with one of my other friends, Rozelle. They were doing a duet to "colors of the wind" which I'm a little jealous of. Finally, we have the three solos. First was Callie, with a contemporary solo. I forget what the song is called, i think it is called "why", but it is very catchy and swaying. Then there is the only boy in our group, Kevin. He is doing tap to a instrumental version of "Mr. Saxobeat" by Alexandra Stan. Again, just a little jealous of that. And I'm the last solo. I get to do a lyrical solo to a song called "see her smile". The song is very strong, and it is actually a little sad, especially with some of the faces I have to make.

Right now I'm just sitting in one of the corners, watching Callie run through her solo with my mom, Olivia. My mom is a great dancer, and she's been teaching dance ever since she was nineteen, so dancing has always been in my blood. But still, Callie was the one in the spotlight. I see my mom step back and watch Callie after doing three pirouettes and landing smoothly on her right leg while she lifted up her left. She studies Callie's every move intently as she reached the very end. The end is supposed to end with a single split roll, switching from left to right only once. My mom shakes her head and walks over to the music player. Now the room is silent for a second.

"No! Callie, do it again. Evert time you get this wrong, it is a side aerial then immediately down the the floor for a SINGLE split roll. You're forgetting the aerial and doing too many rolls. Do it again, eight beats to the end." My mom booms softly.

I can already tell she's stressed. But I don't really blame her, it's Friday night, my mom and I have to stay at the studio until ten thirty because my mom teaches the senior class, but we still need to get home and get packed up for California, like everyone else will be doing at around five this evening. Callie's mom, Kathy, already agreed to come over to my house after I'm done with my classes are over and let Callie help me pack while my mom finishes up here.

But she is still stressed. I don't know why adults get so emotional about everything so easily.

"Genna." Mom calls over to me.

"Front and center, I want to run yours now." Mom joins me in the center of the floor and motions for Callie to start the music for us.

As the music fades in I listen to the first three beats, where I have rests. Then my dance begins when I leap forward with my grand jetè and immediately follow through with my chasse and eight chainè turns while gliding my way down the imaginary stage.

I keep going step after step, finding it easy to finish the dance without getting stressed or afraid of forgetting. I actually danced very beautifully. My mom rushes over to to music player and stops my music, all of the kids in the room clap for me and I smile.

"Wow, Genna, that was pretty much perfect. I'm impressed with your improvement with this dance since last month." Mom smiles at me.

Secretly I want to rush over to her and hug her right now, like I always do when I perfect my dances when I am dancing with just her. But this was work, and while she was my instructor in here, just like my friendships, the mommy daughter act we always have gets set down at the front door.

"Wait wait Genna, you're not done. You and Callie, let's do 'dress" Mom laughs at the groan that comes from my tired mouth.

Callie Anne Stabler, 5:45 P.M.:

"Hi mommy!" I say brightly to mom when she walks through studio 1's door.

I get up from my spot in the center of the room, where miss Kim was giving us the order of numbers going on tomorrow. Mom was going to get a copy of the schedule anyways, so why should I care? I walk over to mom and give her side a light hug.

"Eaugh, you're all sweaty, Cal!" Mom complains. Yeah, of course I am, I'm in dance class. God, I'd you didn't want the sweat then just tell me and I won't hug you yet.

All of the other kids laugh at my moms remark and miss Kim smiles.

"A good sign of a good dancer." Miss Kim says to mom.

Mom nods and sits down with the other moms. Everybody's mom was there today, except for Genna's, of course. I could see her, actually, through the mirror. She was in studio B now, helping with the beginning tap class. That's where Genna and I started, in that same room. It brings back great memories.

"OK, so Callie, your solo will be first number up in the whole competition, so I suggest to start getting ready on the bus on Sunday morning." Miss Kim looks down at where I sit, next to Genna. I look up from the floor, smile and nod.

I personally hate getting ready on the bus. After getting off a long boring plane ride, its always around nine or ten at night, so I have to check in to my hotel room with my mom- and sometimes my baby twin sisters, if my dad let's them come.- and go straight to bed. Then the next day, our bus driver, Fitzgerald, but Genna, Rochelle, and I always call him Fitzy, comes in the bus and we all pack our dance stuff in the bus and drive the drive to the competition, wherever it will be. So just imagine, trying to put a costume on in a crammed dressing room on a bus, then doing hair and make up while it wiggles from the bumps on the road. It's hard.

I remember last competition, Rozelle had to do her hair and makeup on the bus five minutes before she went on- Fitzy got lost and we were late- she got one of her fake eyelashes caught on her real ones, and they were dangling from her eye the whole time she danced. She cried for twenty minutes until our next number after that.

"Next, we have Kevin with your solo. Kevin I want you waiting on the right side of the stage this year, don't get confused this year, OK?" Miss Kim says. We all laugh.

"And then we will have Callie and Genna. Genna, Callie do you two have the twenty buttons sewn into the side of the dresses?" Miss Kim asks me and Genna. I honestly don't know. Miss Olivia, Genna's mom, she always takes the clothes home with her when they need fixing, she does everything to them, like buttons, straps, she even changes the fabric of some parts of the dress when she needs to.

"My mom has the dresses at home, she's already done with the buttons, but she still wants to know if she should put the strap from the song on the dress." Genna says. I smile with relief at her. If her mom didn't have those done, we would be doomed. But every time she gets clothes, she finishes them, and they always come out looking out great.

"Um, no. If you did! You couldn't bring your arms fully up when you turned. But, if you have time. Tell your mom, I think it would be nice if we still have sequins on the costume you have underneath, because it would look better when you two take the dresses off, bring more drama." Miss Kim explains.

"My mom already had sequins on the tops. The bottoms too?" Genna asks. That would look terrible.

"Oh goodness no!" Miss Kim laughs at Genna's foolishness.

"Anyways, third is Genna you have a solo, but there are eight numbers before you, so you'll have plenty of time to change." Miss Kim says.

"And then there's the group dance. Only two numbers go from your solo to the group dance, Genna, so you have to be quick for that one. Kathy, while you're here, did you get the fake blood for costume?"

"Yes ma'am I did, but I am going to have to give it to Olivia tonight because I can't go tomorrow. Callie's father is supposed to have her this weekend, and I have a business trip, so her father will take her." Mom says, we already talked about this last night, and I'm excited for it. My dad never sees me dance anymore, ever since the divorce.

Divorces suck. I hate how I don't get to see my dad as much. I miss him reading stories to me at nigh. And I miss my sisters, after they turned one the divorce was finalized and my dad got to take them, so they barely know my name. They're only three. But I'm lucky, because my sisters get to come and see me too. And they're excited, because next month they are going to start in the tap classes. So my dads family has busy month ahead of us.

"Oh that's sad, alright. I finally get to meet Mr. Stabler, how nice." I never told miss Kim about the divorce, honestly because it is none of her business, but I also didn't want to cry in front of her, which I do a lot when the topic comes up.

Genna looks up at miss Kim and shakes her head no. That always meant bad topic, shut up. Genna always protects my feelings when. It comes to this, and I always do the same for her. Genna never got to meet her father. He left before she was born.

"Anyways. That leaves Callie and Rozelle, last number of the whole thing. Be prepared, a lot of parents and kids get bored after a while, and they usually never pay attention to the last performance. Sometimes even the judges start to doze off, so I need you two to blow them away." Miss Kim warns us. We nod our heads at her.

"OK, that's all. Everyone go home! I'll see you all in here with your bags at five thirty p.m.!" Miss Kim calls out to us.

"Alright you two, ready to go." Mom says. We all three walk into the dressing room and Genna and I grab our backpacks. Genna quickly pulls our dance jacket over her top, and then we grab our dance bags and get ready to leave.

Olivia Benson, 11:10 p.m:

"OK baby, we're home." I say to Genna, and open the door to our apartment.

Genna slowly walks inside, and groggily goes into her room, I can tell she's worn out. She comes back out with a pair of pajamas on and her hair up in a ponytail. Kathy told me that she already let her take a shower after she gave Callie and Genna dinner. I smile and join her on the couch where she places her head in my lap. I can't help but brush the leftover strands of her soft bleach blonde hair back behind her head.

Genna a was very beautiful and bright girl, but she looked almost nothing like me. She looked around ninety percent like her father, her blonde hair that waved just perfectly, her bright green eyes, reminded me of grass every time I look into them. Genna had my nose though, and when she smiled, the bottom half of her face could have been easily mistaken for me. She had my skin tone, but she had a birthmark right on her neck which I think was the same as her fathers.

I don't remember her father. It was a stupid mistake I made, my friends convinced me to go out to their favorite bar with them on my twenty first birthday, and there was this guy there that kept checking me out, and nine months later, my stupid mistake lead to Genna, who was actually more of a gift in my opinion.

"You know that it is way past your bedtime, right." I remind her.

"Yeah." I hear her sigh. I sit up and pull her head off my lap, making her sit up too.

"Alright spill, what's up." I say softly, hugging her gently.

"Nothing, I'm just... I'm just nervous, I want to take home a crown this year, but Callie always beats me. She's better than me, even though I practice every day for at least two hours, and you're a dance teacher, and she's still better. I don't want to be jealous of her, but I just am." I see Genna crinkle up her nose a little after she finishes her sentence. She does that all the time when she is upset or when she does something wrong, it's one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

"Sweetie come on, you know that's not true. You are just as good as Callie is, she's even told you so before. I'm positive that you will do just fine this year, OK? And I also have a strong feeling that the group dance at least is going to blow the others away. You guys have some really impressive moves in there, and you paired up with Callie for a duet; Evert time miss Kim and I do that you two win. So there is another, and the solo, you will have plenty of chances to win that crown... so don't sweat it so much on this one in particular, OK?" I try to cheer her up, and suddenly her nose stops crinkling every ten seconds, it finally settles, and so does she.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. You've got a long couple of days ahead of you.

* * *

Genevieve Benson, 5:37 P.M.:

"Callie! Hurry up!" I scream when I see Callie's dad pull up into the driveway of the studio.

I run out the front door and over to Callie, even though I just entered and it would only take her a few more seconds to get to the door. I give her a big hug, but then I see her dad exit the car, it's weird seeing him taking Callie to competition rather that Kathy.

"Oh! Genna come with me, I want you to meet my dad. DADDY!" Callie screams at him. He looks over to her curiously, taking a small girl out of the backseat of the car and setting her down on the floor. The small girl comes running towards me and Callie while Callie's dad let's out a carbon copy of the girl out of the other side of the car. Twins.

"Yes Cal?" He says.

"Daddy come here! I want you to meet my friend. She's my best friend." Callie takes my hand and I giggle while I get dragged over to her dad. The twin girls giggle and followed us over to the car.

"Well hi there My, I'm Elliot. Nice to meet you." Elliot reaches hid hand down to me for me to shake.

I laugh awkwardly and shake his hand anyway, ignoring Callie who was rolling her eyes.

"Dad, don't be weird! Her name is Genevieve, but everyone calls her Genna for short." Callie says.

"Well its good to meet you Genna. I'm still Elliot." He jokes again.

The twin girls look up at me and giggle.

"What?" I ask.

The first one to get out of the car, with a pink dress on and tiny freckles on her nose, smiles.

"Bella said that you're our sister and Callie isn't cause she don't have yellow hair like you. Her hair brown, like daddy's." The small one giggles at me.

"Gabi shut up! My hair isn't your business. Oh, Genna, these are my baby sisters. Bella is the one in the light blue dress. She's younger, and has no freckles on her nose. Then that's Gabi, she's older by thirty minutes, and she's got tiny freckles, but only on her nose, like the ones on my grandma's nose. That's how I tell them apart, the freckles." Callie tells me.

"Alright, all four of you, inside before I put the three of you that I own back in the car and drive you home." Elliot threatens.

We all turn around and run to the door, with Bella holding onto my arm so she won't fall and Gabi hanging onto Callie's. I push open the door and my mom jumps in shock at the girl hanging onto me.

"Genevieve Benson! Don't scare me like that... where did these two come from?" Mom asks, she bends down and takes Bella's arm off of me. Bella smiles at Olivia and looks over to Gabi.

"Gabi! That's Callie's mommy!" Bella giggles at my mom along with Bella. I have to laugh at that one, it would be weird if Callie were my sister.

"Bella, stop! You know that your mommy is my mommy too." Callie shouts. I don't know how she can get so upset with these two girls, they're awesome.

"These are Callie's sisters, mom." I say.

"Oh! Well how come I never met you two?" Mom smiles at Gabi and Bella while Bella runs over to Gabi's side.

"My dad got custody of them." Callie looks down at Bella and rolls her eyes, her sisters are still saying that she belongs to someone else.

"I see, well... we've got to get going, miss Kim is waiting for you two in studio D. Come on girls." Mom waves her hand to us and leads the way to all the different practice rooms there are.

Usually they are all full, or at least most of them were when I were there, but today, all classes were cancelled. Me, Callie, Gabi and Bella, and my mom all walk in to studio D and I go over to the corner with Callie and we put our bags down there. I see Callie's dad walking into the front office through the window and I see the confused loo on his face, like he doesn't know where to go. I don't blame him, sometimes even I get lost around this place, and I'm in here every day. Callie jogs out the door and over to Elliot who is by the front desk and drags him inside. I can hear her from where I stand now, she tells him to go put her bags over by mine and everyone else's in the corner. Elliot laughs at her eagerness and drags the large suitcases over towards me. I move out of the way so he can have somewhere to put them.

Mom turns around and looks at me, and motions for me to come over to her and then she sees Elliot and freezes. Elliot stands up straight from bending down and situating the suitcases then turns around and looks at my mother too. Elliot smiles, and mom smiles too, with a curious look in her eyes. Oh that's right, they have never met before. Callie is already by my side, and I look over to her and smile. Callie grabs Elliot's hand and starts dragging him over to the middle of the room where mom and the other dancers stand while I go over to mom and pull her closer to Elliot. Mom laughs and stops herself from being dragged by me, just in time to catch herself before she rams into Callie.

"Oph! Sorry there, Cal. Genna, if you don't stop I will leave you in this studio for the rest of the weekend." Mom bends down and looks into my face for the last part. She looks up and sees Elliot staring at her curiously, then she laughs her laugh, the one that mom always does when she's embarrassed.

"Oh, well we've got a stranger in the house. Hi, I'm Olivia, Genna's mom." Mom smiles again and shakes his hand.

* * *

Olivia Benson, 5:45 P.M.:

Wow! He looks amazing! Who let this guy in here?! This man is WAY too gorgeous looking to be a father... of three! I suddenly feel a little humiliated, because I'm dressed like I'm ready for a friggin' yoga class while he's in here with a nice blue shirt on with a tie around his neck... God, what it would be like just to... Nothing. Nothing, this is dance, Olivia. Focus.

"Hello, I'm Elliot. Nice to meet you, and your daughter. From what I hear from Callie so far... Sounds like they're pretty inseparable." He laughs and puts his hand down on Callie's hair and ruffles it round a little, then he cups the back of her head up in his hands and pulls her closer to him gently by her head; like I always do with Genna.

"Go figure, you should be a detective!" I laugh along with him, he doesn't know the half of it.

Then Callie looks up at him too, and she starts giggling at me, along with Genna and Elliot himself.

"He _is _a detective, Miss Benson!" Callie giggles.

I look at Elliot with my mouth wide open. Nice going, dork. Before I can say sorry, I guess I'm saved by the bell, because there goes the door, and the bell attached to he door frame jingles in the air. There's Miss Kim, in her dance logo t-shirt just like me and the rest of the girls... except for Callie's twins and Kevin's brother. Major stand outs.

"Alright, all children! Gather around in the center of the room if you're competing tomorrow! If not, just listen up to my instructions." Kim calls out.

Genna and Callie let go of me and Elliot and rush over to the middle of the room where the group is lined up. Elliot's twin girls, and one other child, stand waiting patiently with their parents, and I see the girls come squealing and running over to Elliot. Elliot puts a finger on his lips to silence them, and lifts up the one in the pink dress and rests her on her hip. The other one giggles silently and attaches herself to Elliot's leg. I smile down at the little one but I then turn my attention over to the girls and boy in the center, and take my rightfully claimed space next to Kim. I look over to Elliot who grins and mouths to me 'you're a teacher?' I smile and nod my head yes. Kim hands me the clipboard with all of the children's and parents names on them and I look it over. Looks like everyone to me.

"Alright guys, you know the drill, you aren't new here. When you hear your name, raise your hand, and if I get to the end of the list and you didn't hear your name, even if you are a parent or a non-competing child, raise your hand and give us your name so we know that you have come with us. OK, first name on the list: Genevieve Benson?" I call out. I know she's already here, she's my daughter. She raises her hand and I continue on.

"Olivia Benson. Oh, that's me." I raise my hand up. All the kids laugh, I pull that 'accident' on them all the time just to see them smile

"Rozelle Johnson." Raised hand.

"Tara Johnson." Raised hand.

"Nicholas Johnson Jr." Raised hand.

"Kevin Barrel" Raised hand.

"Leyanne Barrel." Raised hand.

"Callie Stabler." She is the last dancer to raise their hands out of the four that we have.

"Elliot Stabler." Elliot manages to pry his index finger out of his child's grip and raise his hand. All of the moms and Kim look over to him surprisingly, like seeing another man in here that was under the age of ten was illegal.

"Gabrielle Stabler." I call. The twins look at each other worriedly, as if they were in trouble. The group laughs at the twins' concern, and Elliot has to raise Gabi's hand for her, she was so nervous. So that's who that one was, pink dress, freckles. Got it.

"And finally, Isabella Stabler." Bella raises her hand just like everyone else and I nod, then hand the list back to Kim.

"Alright good. Everyone's here. Now, an announcement about the plain ride! I know that the flight was supposed to be at around eight thirty, leaving us an hour to practice and an hour to drive to the airport, but I was just checking the flight schedules. We are going to be delayed and stuck here for a little while, because the plain that was flying in flew down to the wrong airport in Connecticut and he's flying back right now. So, now we just have extra time to practice the numbers... OK, that's it. So start stretching, I'll be back in a little bit, I've got to go call Fitzgerald and tell him about the delay. Miss Olivia, take the lead." Kim smiles and walks away from the team. She opens the door to the studio and waltzes out, leaving me to teach the kids for now. I personally like it this way, though.

"OK, lets go in competition order, I want Callie and Rozelle in the center in three minutes to run their number." I order and walk over to the ballet bar on the wall with Callie and Rozelle.

I help them properly stretch out their legs, stepping on Callie as she goes down to the ground to stretch out her hips, legs, and basically all of her lower body. Then I help her up, and together, the three of us collectively lift our right leg behind us in the needle. I can see every child in the room from where I stand with Callie and Rozelle, I can even see most of the parents in the room, except for one. Elliot. Who oddly enough, right now I have a bad feeling that he is staring at my backside right now...

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**Hey world! Ima baaack, hacked into Stella's account (she's busy with a project this week)! I didn't know what she wanted to do with out other stories (check them out!) So I just decided to repost this one. It's the same, word for word, except I changed the coach to my real aunt's name, Miss Kim. But other than that it's the same, I hope more people enjoy it this time because I have another her chapter laid out for it. Ok going to bed now, bye! :):):)**


	2. Bus Ride

**Okay, I know that not many people reacted well to the first chapter of this story... But even the best authors never give up on their stories. You don't need an audience to create a piece of writing. I've learned that from years of experience... So I'm going to see how this chappy treats me and we'll just hit the road from there.**

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Elliot Stabler, 6:47 p.m.

Wow, my little girl can dance. When did she get so grown up? All of these dances have so much potential, compared to the other ones I had to drag myself to when she was just a beginner. She has improved so much.

And this Genna girl, I always thought Callie would be the shining star in the class forever. Obviously I was mistaken. Cal's got a run for her money, with Genna around. She looks to be around the same level as Callie, if not just a tad bit more advanced, but all in all a fair competition.

When the two finish their duet together, I can't help but clap. It was jazzy, spectacular, downright magnificent... Except for the part near the end where the dresses come off, leaving them exposed in a sparkly green top and bottom that resembled a swimsuit. But hey, when you wanna win, you do whatever you need to do.

But it kind of matched the words to the song, 'what a pleasure to unwrap...' Sure, not the most appropriate dance, but they make it work.

"That was awesome, you two! Alright then, Rozelle! Time to show me what you've got." Olivia claps her hands together and points at a small red haired girl. She sighs worriedly with an embarrassed smile on her face and shuffles her way up the the center with Cal.

Callie turns her head to the side and looks Rozelle up and down with an eyebrow raised. Everyone, including myself, laugh at the awkward state.

"That's not the way a winner stands." Callie teases the girl. I smile, that's my cocky little stud.

Rozelle laughs and gets in to some weird position with her arms on the ground and one leg in between her arm and her neck, like a possessed demon... Kind of creepy.

The dance begins, and my twins start to jump up and down, it's the colors of the wind. My girls always sing this song around the house, when they're eating, when they're brushing their teeth, when I'm tying their shoes. So yes, I, the big Elliot Stabler, know this song by heart as well.

"Daddy daddy!" Gabi and Bella chant under their breaths. I have to put my finger over my lips to silence them.

I see the teacher, the beautiful Olivia, look over towards me with a mysterious look on her face. It was actually kind of sexy. She was sitting down on the floor with a bottle of water in her hands, smiling to the girls, but looking at me with a mystery dancing in her eyes.

I smile back at her with the a playful wave of my hand. She chuckles lightly at me and then looks over to the girls. As do I.

Callie and this other girl, Rozelle, are both dancing with their lives. As Callie stops twirling or spinning or whatever, she stands still in front of Rozelle, while Rozelle lifts Callie up by her wrists and ankles. She swings Callie over her head and hangs her around her shoulders, as if she were... A dead Indian.

Not something you see every day.

Rozelle was much older and stronger than Callie was, I could tell. She's got to be around twelve or thirteen, and around five foot three. Callie was only eight, four foot two, and sixty pounds. No wonder why they chose Rozelle to do the duet with Callie, she was the only one in the room who could easily pick her up.

"Oooh, Callie and Genna, you've got some competition." Olivia laughs, walks over to the girls, and high fives them. Callie and I laugh softly to each other, either way she would win. But that didn't matter, she's lost before. What mattered was if she was having fun.

"Ok, kids. The bus is here!" Miss Kim called to the girls And boy. Just in time. All of the kids squealed excitedly and ran to the corner of the room to go get their bags. The girls get so scared that both Bella and Gabi jump into my arms.

* * *

Genevieve Benson, 9:45 P.M.

"Callie, do you have any headphones?" I ask as Fitzy stops for a gas break.

"Yeah... But only if I can listen with you." She blackmails me. She knows what music I like, because we like the same stuff. I smile and nod, waiting for her to get her headphones out.

Once she pulls them out and fits the chord into my headphone jack, I tap on my phone and go to my music. Since my mother and I are both dancers, we both obviously buy a lot of music on itunes and in stores and basically everywhere. That's why my music was already filled up with about six hundred songs, but only around forty that I actually listen to. The five hundred sixty others or so belongs to my previous competitions and my mothers students. Yeah, we spend tons of money just on two to three minutes of chords.

I start playing the playlist of mine and Callie's and we start jamming out to Black Widow by Iggy Azalea. Fitzy hops back on to the bus, and the whole thing starts rocking and rumbling again.

"I'm gonna love ya, like a black widow bay-bay!" Callie squeals. I start laughing at her until I can't even breath, she is so funny when she fake sings.

I look out the window as the song progresses and smile, the cool New York air is leaving us. I can see the airport from here, it's bright lights for the airplanes sparkle against the foggy sky. All of the kids on the bus start cheering as Fitzy drive into the parking lot of the airport and my mom stands up.

"Hey, guys listen up! I need you all to be quiet while Fitzgerald parks into the airport. You know this bus, and you know it's so big it needs two parking spaces. That's not an easy thing to do while a bunch of kids are screaming." Mom explains. We never have to be told twice by her, or miss Kim. We all shut up.

Numbers of eyes glue to the road as Fitzy parks into the airport. You'd be surprised at how fascinating it is to see this man struggle to fit our large tour bus in a tiny airport parking space.

When he finally gets the bus parked everyone collectively stands and I help Callie pick up her suitcase while she picks up mine. A little ritual of ours.

Wow, ow, what did she pack in this thing, a mule?!

"Oh my god, what in the world is in your bag, Cal?" I ask huffily as I try to move forward carrying the luggage.

"Don't you remember? My mom put all that fake blood and makeup in my bag that miss Kim was wanting. It added like, ten more pounds to what I usually put in there." Callie explains to me.

Oh, right. Stupid me, I guess.

We are the last ones, besides my mom and Callie's dad and sisters, to get off the bus. Just looking around the airport, I can see that this trip is going to be fun...

* * *

Olivia Benson, 1:25 A.M

"Alright guys, we're all checked in. Parents, you have the rooms keys, lights out in ten minutes. I'll see you all tomorrow morning." I say to our small crowd outside the hotel.

Thanks to the late plane, we're getting in at one in the morning. Great, we'll only get around four hours of sleep, and that's if we go to sleep right now. All the parents nod at me in understanding and head inside to go upstairs to their rooms.

And I have to admit, it's gonna suck only getting three to four hours of sleep, but I still LOVE Los Angeles. I remember coming here my first time, when I was seventeen. I went here for my last national competition before I went to school.

I stayed in this exact same hotel, in room 324 on the third floor. I went to the exact same dance nationals by StarQuest.

Sleepily, Genna and Callie along with the other children and parents plod their way inside the hotel lobby. Everyone instinctively breaks into groups. Of parents and children. Some groups walk to elevators, while others take the bullet and carry passed out kids up the stairs. But of course, Genna and Callie being inseparable, and little battery packs in themselves, are together and jumping off the walls waiting for me and Elliot to make our way over to them.

"Mom!" "Daddy!" Two whines call impatiently.

I look over to Elliot holding his younger girls in his arms- oh my god they looked so precious! And him, it was sweet how much he adored them- with a gruff look on his face. I can't help but laugh, the moment is just priceless.

"Oh, here, let me take one of them." I insist. Both of the girls are asleep, so it doesn't matter which one I take. I awkwardly shift Gabby out of Elliot's arms and into mine. I never realized how much I missed the feeling of carrying a baby around.

"Thanks, obviously this is a first time doing this for me." He laughs awkwardly.

"Haha, I get that. When I first had Gen I was just getting out of competitions, it was so hard dragging her around and then having to focus on myself." I told him. If I remember correctly I was around twenty one when I had Genna, that was the best and worst year of my life.

I look down at Gabby's sleeping face and smile a little bit. I have to fight off the strong urge to kiss the top of her head, like I did with not only Genna but with many of my other students.

I look back up into Elliot's eyes. The ones that I sense the malevolence of a demon, yet the gentle touch of an angel. An angel that could burn.

"Mom""Dad" they call again.

"Coming babes." I say behind my shoulder.

Elliot chuckles a little bit over my shoulder. Dick, I think with a smile. I shift Gabby one more time on my hip for the long run and reach down for the handle of my bag. Then we all make our ways upstairs, preparing for the long run of tomorrow...


End file.
